| Accession Number | P01922.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
United States Office Of Strategic Services (OSS) |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Hainan Island, China. 1945-08-27. A USAAF C47 aircraft carrying the prisoner of war (POW) ...
Description
Hainan Island, China. 1945-08-27. A USAAF C47 aircraft carrying the prisoner of war (POW) recovery team from the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) approaching the drop zone where the nine man OSS party parachuted onto the island. The prison compound at Bakli Bay, on the western side of the island, housed the remnants of the force of 500 Australian and Dutch soldiers transfrered there from Ambon in 1942 after the surrender of Gull Force. Of the 263 Australians who were transported to Hainan in 1942, all from the 2/21st Battalion, only 181 returned to Australia in 1945. (Donor 2/21st Battalion Association. Copied from an album given to the association by Lt Col J.W.R Scott, DSO, who commanded the battalion. Album held in Archive Store)